Safety for a firearm hammer mechanism



June, 1948. E. G. UHL

SAFETY FOR A FIREARM HAMMER MECHANISM Filed Nov. l5, 1945 EDWARDE UH1www Patented June 1, 1948 SAFETY FOR A FIREARM HAMMER MECHANISM EdwardG. Um, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of War Application November 15, 1943,Serial No. 510,334

(o1. iz-vo) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April30, 1928; 370 O. G. '757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon. f

This invention relates to a rocket projector and particularly to apercussion fired rocket pro- J'ector.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a rocketprojector having a semi-automatic percussion firing mechanism to effectthe discharge of a rocket from the rocket projector.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a hammer mechanismfor a rocket projectile which may be cocked either manually or by thegas blast of a discharged rocket. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a rocket projector thatis light and compact which may be readily carried by a singleindividual.

The specic nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the rocket projector.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the firing mechanismshown in the cocked position ready to re.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing the firing mechanism cockedbut with the safety engaged.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the guard ring.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail View showing the hammer in the raised orfired position.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in longitudinal section of the rocketprojectile catch. v

The rocket projector, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,comprises mainly a long tube-like barrel in which a rocket projectile(not shown) may be inserted. A percussion firing mechanism is mounted onthe underside of the tube for firing the rocket projectile and isarranged to be released by a trigger which is connected to such ringmechanism by a cable. A shoulder stock and fore grip are alsodependingly mounted on the tube to facilitate holding the projectorWhile aiming and firing.

The projector comprises a long tube I, preferably of sufficient lengththat the rocket propellant charge of the rocket projectile is completelyburned before such projectile leaves the muzzle of the tube. Apositioning catch 2 is 'pro vided to properly position and secure therocket projectile (not shown) within tube I. The catch v2 (Figs. 1 and6) comprises a lever 3 which is pivotally'mounted by a transverse pin 4in a bracket 5 welded to the top of tube I near the right end thereof asviewed in Fig. 1. An integral downwardly projecting arm 6 is provided onleft end of lever 3 as shown in Fig. 6 which projects down thru a hole'I provided in the top of tube I. A spring 8 is placed between the rearend of lever 3 and tube I to bias the arm 6 into engagement with aninserted rocket projectile (not shown). Spring 8 rests in a recess 9provided on top of tube I. Y

To facilitate loading a rocket projectile into the rear end of tube Iand to prevent accidental closure of the rear end of tube I by abuttingagainst other objects, a funnel shaped guide ring I is mounted on theextreme end of tube I Guide ring IG comprises a large ring II (Fig. 4)and a smaller split ring I2 connected together by spokes I3. The spokesI3 are preferably welded to rings II and I2 and are evenly spaced aboutthe periphery thereof.

A percussion firing mechanism I4 (Figs. 2 and 3) comprising mainly ahammer I5, a sear I6 and a safety Il is mounted on the underside of tubeI at the rear end thereof to eiect discharge of the rocket projector. Abase I8 is welded to the underside of tube I to mount the elements ofthe firing mechanism Iii. A bracket, as more clearly illustrated in Fig.5, is mounted on the extreme rear edge of base I8 to mount a hammer I5.Bracket t9 is provided with two downwardly projecting lugs 2i! on `whichis supported a transverse pin 2l. Hammer I5 comprises a firing pin 22,arm 23, and an integral hub 24 on one end of arm 23. The pin 22 isbrazed or otherwise secured to the other end of arm 23. A transversehole 25 is provided in the hub 24 so that hammer I5 may be pivotallymounted on pin 2|. Two torsion springs 26 are mounted on pin 2l, one oneach side of hub 2li of hammer I5 to centrally locate hammer I5 on pin2i and to bias hammer I5 'into an upright position as shown in Fig. 5 sothat the firing pin 22 can strike the primer of the rocket projectile(not shown). On the underside of hub 24 as shown in Fig. 2 there isprovided a fiat recessed scar surface 21 which is engaged by the sear I5and the safety I1. An accurate cam surface 24 is formed on the endof hub2li for a purpose to be described.

Sear I5 and safety II 'are supported on the underside of base I8 by twoU-shaped brackets` 28 welded to base I8. Sear I6 is a long rectangularmember provided with an integral lug 29 on the left end thereof asviewed in Figs. 2 and y3.

The sear I6 is longitudinally mounted in suitably shaped notches in thebase of the brackets 28. The other end 30 of sear I6 engages under thesear surface 21 of hammer I5 when hammer I5 is lowered to the positionshown in Fig. 2.- Safety I1 is also a loiig rectangular member andsimilarly mounted in brackets 2B parallel to sear I6. The safety I1 issubstantially thicker than sea-r I6 and the left end is bent downwardlyas viewed in Fig. 2 to form a depending arm 3|: An in tegral lug 32 isprovided approximately in the center of safety I1 to be engaged by asafety actuating plunger 33 tobe described. The right end 33 of safetyI1 can also engage under sear surface 21 when the hammer I5 is in thelowered position as shown in Fig. 2. Y

Sear I6 and safety I1 are each retained within their respective notchesin -brackets 28 by straps `34 secured to the underside of each bracket28Aas by the screws 35.

A Vertical pin 36 is secured t0 sear I6 near lug 29 and one end of asear spring 31 is mounted on piti 35. The other end of sear spring 31i's lssecured to a downwardly projecting bracket 43s which is welded tothe side of right hand strap 34 as shown in Fig. 2. One end of a safetyspring 39 is mounted on the end of the downwardly projecting arm -3I ofsafety I1 while the other end is secured to the bracket 38. 'I'liesprings 31 and 39 respectively bias the scar I5 and safety I1 to theright so that their yends engage under sear surface 21 of hammer I5. Asthe bottoms of sear I and safety I1 lie in the same plane, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, the safety I1, being thicker than sear I6, will projectupwardly higher and hence engage sear surface 21 before sear I5. HammerI5 will then be held in the cocked position by safety I1 until suchsafety is disengaged from surface 21 by a plunger 33a.

A plunger 33a is provided to disengage safety I1 from sear surface 21 ofhammer I5 to permit 'sear I6 to become operative. The plunger 33a isvertically mounted between tworintegral lugs 40 and 4I of a dependingbracket 42 welded to base I8 between the two brackets 28. A collar 56 ispermanently secured to plunger 33a and rests against the upper surfaceof lug 40. A helical spring 43 surrounds plunger 33a between the lug 4Iand collar 56 to bias plunger 33a downwardly. Plunger 33a is providedwith a conical shaped end 44 which, -when safety plunger 33a is manuallymoved upwardly, will engage the side of lug 32 on safety I1 and thuswithdraw safety I1 from sear surface 21 to ready hammer I5 for firing aswill be described in more detail later.

A cover 55 (Fig, 1) is provided to shield r'in'g Amechanism I4 frominjury due to dirt or chance The cover 55 is preferably mounted inyblows. such manner as to be readily removable.

A pistol grip 45 is secured as by welding to the underside of tube Iapproximately in the center thereof. A bifurcated depending lug 46 i'sprovided in the upper forward portion of pistol projectile (not shown).

.4 of sear I6 by means of a clevis 5I. The clevis `5I is pivotallymounted on lug 29 by a pin 52.

A shoulder stock 53 is dependingly mounted on tube I in the rear ofpistol gripl 45. A fore grip 54 is welded or otherwise secured t0 theother under side of tube I somewhat ahead of pistol grip 45 as shown inFig. 1.

To operate the projector, it is necessary that Yhaimri'er I5 be cockedprior to insertion of the rocket projectile into tube I. Hammer I5 isreadily cocked by grasping-arm 23 and pivoting hammer I5 against thebias of torsion springs 26 tothe positionshown in Fig. 3. During thispivotal movement, the arcuate surface 24 of hammer I5 cams the Sear I5and safety I1 to the left, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, until the hammerreaches a position where sear surface 21 clears both sear I6 and safetyI1, whereupon sear I6 and safety I1 snap rearwardly under the force ofsprings 31 and 39 respectively to engage under sear surface 21. Sincesafety I1 is thickerthan sear I6 and since the bottom of sear I6 andsafety I1 are on the same plane as previously mentioned, sear IB willunderlie but not engage the sear surface 21 when safety I1 fully engagesunder sear surface 21.

The rocket projector is readily loaded by`inserting a rocket projectile(not shown) into the rear of tube I thru the ring I0. The rocketprojectile is lproperly positioned within tube I by engagement of arm 6of catch 2 in anannular locating groove provided on the rocketprojectile (not shown) The hammer I5 is shown in the safe position inFig. 3. As shown thus safety I1 is in engagement with surface 21 ofhammer I5. 'o disengage safety I'I from surface 21 plunger 33a is pushedupwardly. The conical end surface 44 of plunger 33a strikes lug 32 ofsafety I1 and forces safety I1 to the left as shown in Fig. 2. Thus theend 33 of safety I1 becomes disengaged from surface 21 and the hammerpivots counterclockwise a slight amount so that sear I 6 now engagessear surface 21 and holds hammer I5 in the ready-to-iire position as'shown in Fig. 2. The plunger 33a can now be released without returningsafety I1 into engagement with sear surface 21 as safety I1 now willalbut against arcuate surface 24. The hammer I5 may now be released bysear I6. Sear I6 is released when trigger 41 is pulled rearwardly. Thetrigger 41 pulls cable 49 which in turn causes sear IE to slip o searsurface 21 against the bias of spring 31. Y

Immediately as the sear I6 slips on surface 21 the torsion springs 26bias hammer I5 upwardly and firing pin 22 strikes the primer of therocket Safety I1 slides against arcuate surface 24' as hammer I5 pivotsupwardly to the red position. The gas blast re- 'sulting from thedischarge of the projectile impinges on ham-merY I5 and strikes it withsuch force as to pivot it to its cocked position shown in Fig. 3 wheresafety I1 will again engage under sear surface 21. Sear I 6 returns toposition under surface 21 when the trigger is released. It is apparentthat the portion of the hammer exposed to the gas blast should have asubstantial area to insure the cooking of the hammer by the gas blast.

From the foregoing description it is readily apparent that a rocketprojector of simple, light, and compact construction is provided. It isalso apparent that a simple dependable firing mechanism is providedwhich can be cocked by the discharge of a projectile. The mechanism isparticularly advantageous for tWo man firing of the projector, i. e.,one man aiming and firing and the other loading projectile into the rearend of the projector. By providing safety actuating plunger 33 at therear of the projector it can be conveniently operated by only the loaderand hence serves to insure that the loader is not in the path of the gasblast when the projectile is fired.

It will be noted that if safety plunger 33a is actuated and thenreleased, the firing mechanism is self-cooking regardless of theposition of the trigger. cocked position by the gas blast of adischarged rocket is engaged and held in such position by safety I1.

I claim:

1. A hammer mechanism for a firearm comprising a pivotally mountedhammer, resilient means biasing said hammer, a sear surface on saidhammer, a slidably mounted safety member, said safety member arranged toengage the sear surface of said hammer to hold said hammer in a cockedposition against the bias of said resilient means, means for slidingsaid safety member out of engagement with the sear surface, a slidablymounted sear, said sear arranged to engage the sear surface of saidhammer to hold said hammer in a cocked position against the bias of saidresilient means and trigger means for sliding said sear out ofengagement with sear surface of said hammer.

2. A hammer mechanism as in claim 1 wherein the means for sliding thesafety member comprises a spring pressed plunger, a cam surface on theend of said plunger, and a lug on said safety member, said plunger beingarranged with respect to said lug so that said cam surface engages saidlug to slide said safety member upon actuation `of said plunger.

3. A hammer mechanism for a rearm comprising a frame, a hammer pivotallymounted on said frame, resilient means exerting a torsion-a1 bias onsaid hammer, said hammer comprising a The'hammer I5, being pivoted toVstriker arm and an integral hub portion, a sear surface on said `hubportion, a cam surface on said hub portion adjacent said sear surface, asear slidably mounted in said frame, resilient means biasing said searinto engagement With said hub, said sear arranged to engage said camsurface of said hub in the non-cocked position of said hammer and toengage said sear surface of said hub to hold said hammer in a cockedposition against the bias of said resilient means, trigger means forsliding said sear out of engagement with the sear surface of saidhammer, a safety member slidably mounted in said frame, resilient meansbiasing said safety member into engagement with said hub, said safetymember arranged to engage the sear surface of said hub in the cockedposition of said hammer and to engage the cam portion of said hub in thenoncockedposition of said hammer, and means for sliding said safetymember out of engagement with said sear surface of the hammer.

4. A hammer mechanism as in claim 3 wherein the last mentioned meanscomprises a spring pressed plunger, a cam surface on the end of saidplunger and a lug on said safety member, said plunger being arrangedwith respect to said lug so that said cam surface engages said lug toslide said safety member upon actuation of said plunger.

EDWARD G. UHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 639,421 Mauser Dec. 19, 18991,100,054 Castle June 16, 1914 1,190,653 vHughes July 11, 1916 1,359,609Lang Nov. 23, 1920 1,376,165 Rosebush Apr. 26, 1921 1,661,091ltiabouchinskiy Feb. 28, 1928 2,140,946 swartz Dec, 20, 193s

